A presentation of student research

This is an introduction to different types of surge converter devices and the projects associated with surge converters.

There are at least 25 different companies with patented surge converter devices in various stages development or installation around the world according to the US Department of Energy’s Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database (US Department of Energy: Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program). This database requests information about marine hydrokinetic technologies and projects from developers and researchers, so it is the most up to date online source on various marine hydrokinetic devices.

The most popular and conventional surge converter design is the “Vertical Hinged Flap” design. The Oyster, a surge converter device developed by Aquamarine Power, has seen the most success in recent years with a full scale commercial installation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland. (Aquamarine Power)

Other less-conventional surge converter designs do exist and some, such as the SDE breakwater horizontal hinged flap device, have been installed. However, a limited amount of verifiable information exists about recent developments or installations involving SDE technology. (S.D.E 2012)

In order to explore specific information on some of the most well-documented surge converter devices, use the following link to the “Device Profiles” page:

Some surge converter developers have specific plans for larger-scale power plants or future developments. For more information about pilot testing plans, power plant plans, or other interesting developments in the world of surge converter technology, follow the following link to the “Current Developments” page: